BJP is likely to retain the post of Speaker
New Delhi:Amidst hectic parleys over the Cabinet berths and portfolio allocation to the NDA constituents in the new Bihar government, JD(U)'s working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, along with BJP president J.P. Nadda, met Union home minister Amit Shah at his residence in the national capital. In another development, the BJP named its central observers to oversee the legislature party meeting scheduled on Wednesday in Patna.
During the meeting at Mr Shah’s residence, which lasted for about three hours, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on November 20 at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, the NDA leadership discussed how many Cabinet berths the junior allies will get in the new government. Sources claim that the Chirag Paswan-led LJP(RV) is seeking at least two Cabinet berths, while the Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLP could get one berth each.
According to sources, the BJP is likely to retain the Speaker’s post. The name of senior leader and nine-time MLA Prof. Prem Kumar is doing the rounds for the post. The JD(U), sources said, is also lobbying for the Speaker’s post. In the outgoing Assembly, BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav served as the Speaker, while JD(U)'s Narendra Narayan Yadav held the position of deputy Speaker.
The process of formation of the new NDA government in Bihar began on Monday after the chief minister Nitish Kumar met governor Arif Mohammed Khan and recommended the dissolution of the outgoing Assembly with effect from November 19. Mr Kumar will again meet the governor on Wednesday and tender his resignation along with a letter of support from all other constituents of the NDA.
After the BJP legislature party meeting on Wednesday, the NDA leaders will meet to officially announce the name of the ruling alliance’s leader for the chief minister’s post. Several BJP leaders and also JD(U) leaders have said that Mr Kumar will continue at the CM post for the 10th time. The JD(U) legislature party meeting is also scheduled for tomorrow.
The BJP has appointed Mr Maurya, who is Uttar Pradesh's deputy chief minister, as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader in Bihar. Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and former Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti have been made co-observers.
Last week, the ruling NDA decimated the opposition Mahagathbandhan by scoring a sweeping majority, winning 202 seats in the 243-member House.
The BJP emerged as the largest party, winning 89 seats. The JD(U) won 85 seats, while the LJP(RV) bagged 19 seats. The HAM won five seats and the RLP bagged four seats in the recently concluded Assembly polls.
